Question about retrobrighting a Color Classic

mraroid

mraroid

6502
Hi folks...
 
I have a question about retrobrighting my color classic.
 
I see that when I go in from the back, I can pop out the color apple logo on the front.  So far, so good.
 
But the front of the CC has some text saying  Macintosh, Quicktime and Color Classic.  When I retrobright the front of the CC, will doing so lighten up the black text on the front? And if so, what do I do about it?
 
Also, any tips on how to properly retrobright the keyboard? I am a little afraid to paint it with the goop and have it ruin my keyboard. 
Thoughts?
 
mraroid
 
I haven't heard of retrobright affecting the printed text on plastics such as on the Macs and on keyboards. I don't think you should worry about that, try it on a more inconspicuous location first if you're still nervous about it, to see if it has such an effect.

 
Ive done multiple retrobriting sessions. It does not harm the text for the most part as long as you dont over do it.

It may affect the inner metallic gray paint.

I REALLY REALLY STRONGLY am against painting on the thicker mix and putting plastic wrap over it. Ive ruined a couple of things that way and Ive followed the steps correctly... By submerging the parts you cant really mess up or overdo it, Wish I would have done that instead...

 
I only submerged small things like a spacebar and a mouse. They came out perfect.

For my SE/30 case, as an example, I got the hair developer peroxide stuff and brushed it on, then put plastic wrap over it. Every half hour Id take it off and brush it around. For the most part, it came out great, except for some burn on the top of the case. I did a IIGS and a Classic II which were ruined from this method (Both common computers luckily) doing the same thing as the SE/30. I also did a monitor which came out okay.

If you submerge, then you cannot mess up since everything gets the same amount of peroxide. Submerge (Better) vs brush (Harder to control). 

 
Here's a quick list of things I've retrobrighted, and my notes around that:

  • PlayStation 1. I did total submersion in 3 percent hydrogen peroxide on a hot, sunny day. It worked great, except the CD tray lid floated, and the part that wasn't submerged bleached out and was brighter than the rest of the part. The PlayStation logo and text were completely unaffected.
  • A couple of Super Nintendos. Total submersion in 3 percent hydrogen peroxide on a hot, sunny day. The "Super Nintendo" print was unaffected. The result was very even, although one of the bottom pieces was much improved but not perfectly grey.
  • Sega Dreamcast. Total submersion in 3 percent on a hot, sunny day. Sega logo, Windows CE (lol!) logo, and Dreamcast logo were unaffected.
  • ADB Apple Keyboard 2 (last week). It's been snowy and rainy, so I coated the parts in 30 Proof Developer Cream, wrapped in plastic, and placed under a UV "lizard" lamp from the pet store for ~16 hours. Results are beautiful, very even. The "Apple" logo on the keyboard was completely unaffected.
  • Macintosh SE rear housing (yesterday). 30 Proof Developer cream, wrapped in plastic, placed under the UV "lizard" lamp. Turned every few hours for even exposure. Mostly good results... a few brownish spots that I think didn't have enough cream on them. I reapplied cream on these faces of the housing and exposed to UV for another 4 hours or so each and it got a LOT lighter.  I think with more time they spots would go away. As they are now, you have to know where to look so I'm going to leave it be. 98 percent success, in my opinion. I'll be doing the front panel soon (and I'll be popping the Apple logo out to be safe).
Those are my experiences. I hope that helps.

 
This question is directed to folks living in the US.  Which product brand name do you buy?  Did you find a brand name product that worked better then others?  Do you cut your solution with water to get the % mix that you want, or do you buy the % mixture you want and not mix it with water?
 
It seems like I would need more than a small bottle of this stuff.  Where do folks go to buy a larger bottle that beauty salons might buy?  Ebay?  Or perhaps a beauty salon web site for supplies?
 
Thanks so much.
 
mraroid
 
The brand is Salon Care. White jug or bottle. Red text is cream, blue text is liquid. Sally Beauty Supply sells bottles and 1-gallon jugs. Don’t be shy, just walk in and say you’re looking for Salon Care hydrogen peroxide and they’ll help you out. I let them know that it wasn’t for treating hair, and they immediately directed me to the Salon Care (which is what I was after) saying it was cheaper and optimal if I just wanted hydrogen peroxide.

Sally Beauty is very common here in Idaho, I’ll bet you’ve got them in Oregon. If you don’t have Sally Beauty, try another beauty supply store.

As for percentages... the 8-Bit Guy just dumps a bottle in a tub. Not sure what his mixture is. I would hazard a guess of 1-part 30 proof hydrogen peroxide to 3 parts water mixture? No idea, really. I’ve done full submersion with cheap 3 percent bottles from Walmart and it worked just fine (albeit a bit slow when I tried to reuse the same liquid).

P.S. I’ve got video footage of me retrobrighting an Apple Keyboard II a couple of weeks ago. I really want to get that posted soon.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
PotatoFi...

Thank you for your post.  I just looked, and yes, I have a Sally Beauty Supply store in my city. What % of  hydrogen peroxide is Salon Care?  Would I hurt anything using it directly, or do you suggest that I cut it with something (like water maybe?).  I need to do a Color Classic and if I can figure out how, the keyboard.  I do not think I will have any issues with the mouse, but I am unsure of how to do the keyboard.  All the keys pop off, right? I would hate to get liquid in my keyboard....

Thanks again,

mraroid

 
Which keyboard do you have?

What % of  hydrogen peroxide is Salon Care?
Click to expand...
30 proof is the highest you can get in Idaho without a license. I have heard that it is 12 percent? I'm sure though.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
PotatoFi....

It is this one.  I think it is newer than the original, but not sure.  I am willing to buy another keyboard on ebay or some place if it could take the hydrogen peroxide bath better....

mraroid

rsz_mykey.jpg

 
That's the exact keyboard that I just retrobrighted! Maybe the photo is deceiving... but yours looks nice and white. It looks about the same as mine does, post-retrobrite.

Before:

Before.jpg

After:

After.jpg

Based on that, do you think your keyboard still needs it, or is your photo playing tricks on me?

 
my photo did not show the yellow as much as it should.  But I thik I will worry about the keyboard later and just get my case done.

mraroid

 
I would recommend doing the keyboard first, seems like lower-risk. I'm SUPER close to having a video done to walk you through the process if you're willing to wait a few days. I've been tied up on my own Macintosh SE. :)

 
PotatoFi....

I will wait until I can see your video. No rush.

I live in Oregon USA, the land of no sun until maybe April 2019.  So I can do it indoors under lights maybe?  If not, I will wait until the sun comes out.

Thanks for your help,

mraroid

 
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